THE POMEGRANATE!

GROWS ON A TREE THAT IS ABOUT 15-25 FEET TALL

ORIGINATED IN THE AREA NOW KNOWN AS IRAN.

GROWN ALL OVER THE WORLD FOUND IN THE USA IN ARIZONA AND CALIFORNIA DURING THE MONTHS OF SEPTEMBER - FEBRUARY

POMEGRANATES ARE USED IN COOKING, BAKING, JUICES, SMOOTHIES AND WINE.

THE NAME POMEGRANATE DERIVES FROM MEDIEVAL LATIN PŌMUM MEANING “APPLE" AND GRĀNĀTUM MEANING "SEEDED"

HOW TO GET THE SEEDS!AFTER THE POMEGRANATE IS OPENED BY SCORING IT WITH A KNIFE AND BREAKING IT OPEN, THE ARILS (SEED CASINGS) ARE SEPARATED FROM THE PEEL AND INTERNAL WHITE PULP MEMBRANES. SEPARATING THE RED ARILS IS EASIER IN A BOWL OF WATER BECAUSE THE ARILS SINK AND THE INEDIBLE PULP FLOATS.

FREEZING THE ENTIRE FRUIT ALSO MAKES IT EASIER TO SEPARATE. ANOTHER VERY EFFECTIVE WAY OF QUICKLY HARVESTING THE ARILS IS TO CUT THE POMEGRANATE IN HALF, SCORE EACH HALF OF THE EXTERIOR RIND FOUR TO SIX TIMES, HOLD THE POMEGRANATE HALF OVER A BOWL AND SMACK THE RIND WITH A LARGE SPOON. THE ARILS SHOULD EJECT FROM THE POMEGRANATE DIRECTLY INTO THE BOWL, LEAVING ONLY A DOZEN OR MORE DEEPLY EMBEDDED ARILS TO REMOVE. THE ENTIRE SEED IS CONSUMED RAW, THOUGH THE WATERY, TASTY ARIL IS THE DESIRED PART. THE TASTE DIFFERS DEPENDING ON THE SUBSPECIES OF POMEGRANATE AND ITS RIPENESS.

A BOWL OF ASH-E ANAR, A PERSIAN SOUP MADE WITH POMEGRANATE JUICE

GREEN SALAD WITH ROAST BEEF, POMEGRANATE VINAIGRETTE, AND LEMON JUICE THE POMEGRANATE JUICE CAN BE VERY SWEET OR SOUR, BUT MOST FRUITS ARE MODERATE IN TASTE, WITH SOUR NOTES FROM THE ACIDIC TANNINS CONTAINED IN THE ARIL JUICE. POMEGRANATE JUICE HAS LONG BEEN A POPULAR DRINK IN ARMENIAN, PERSIAN AND INDIAN CUISINE, AND BEGAN TO BE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA IN 2002.[29]